Shanghai no place for a dog show while canine meat on the menu, critics say
- Organisers accused of double standards for holding world dog lovers’ event in China where their meat is widely eaten
- 22 canines rescued from slaughterhouse days before show opens
The World Dog Show opens in Shanghai on Tuesday amid criticism of “double standards” because of the widespread consumption of dog meat in China.
The four-day event is being held for the first time in China, which consumes around one-third of the 30 million dogs eaten by humans each year worldwide, according to Humane Society International estimates.
Britain’s The Kennel Club, which calls itself the world’s oldest such organisation, has already announced it is snubbing the event, citing the sometimes “brutal” methods used in China to slaughter canines.
“The Kennel Club will not be attending the show with its roadshow stand,” it said in a statement on its website.
Various animal rights organisations have launched campaigns against the decision by the Belgium-based World Canine Organisation, known by its French acronym FCI, to award the event to China. A petition on the social activism website Care2.com condemning the show has drawn more than 730,000 signatures.